Elwood Athletic Club and local coaches press park board for longer lease and field upgrades

Chris McCormick, who introduced himself as president of the Elwood Athletic Club, told the Elwood Park Board the club wants a longer lease and permission to develop a gated practice compound with restrooms to keep young players off nearby streets.

"Our main focus was to create a practice facility ... where these kids aren't crossing any roads," McCormick said, describing last year's limited cleanup and weekly mowing under a one‑year lease and saying the infield and field infrastructure are in rough shape.

McCormick said the club expects to expand youth football programming for four‑, five‑ and six‑year‑olds and is seeking stability before investing in turf and other improvements. He also asked whether park buildings are city‑owned and covered by umbrella property insurance; board members confirmed buildings are city property and that clubs should carry participant and spectator liability insurance.

Mike Plank, who identified himself as the new varsity baseball coach at Elwood, told the board he wants to restore high‑school baseball and create overflow capacity for middle‑school and travel teams. "My goal is to bring back high school baseball," Plank said, describing plans for winter training, additional teams and partnerships with nearby tournament hosts.

Plank and McCormick both cautioned that the field lacks functioning lights, a scoreboard and some fixtures, and that parts of the area had been used for parking before the lot was expanded. Plank estimated 15–18 middle‑school players could be expected this year and said the school’s program growth will increase demand for playable fields.

Board members asked about coordination with existing users and other town facilities; McCormick said disc golf had decided not to use the area and that the club had originally taken only a short lease while use and ownership questions were resolved. The board did not take a formal vote on a lease extension during the meeting; next steps discussed included a site walk‑through and further coordination among the club, coaches and board staff.

The discussion also touched on potential revenue opportunities from concessions and tournament overflow, and on maintenance support; one coach noted he owns a local landscaping business and could help with field work if a longer lease and clearer access were granted.

The board recorded the presentation and indicated that staff and board members would follow up with a site inspection and additional conversation about lease terms and needed capital work. No binding contract or timetable for a decision was announced at the meeting.